Hammer-supporting flange for piano-actions.



PATENTED JUNE 18, 1907.

R. J. MURRAY.

HAMMER SUPPORTING FLANGE FOR PIANO ACTIONS.

-APPLIOATION FILED JAN.10,1907.

C({tET/ PCeSSeLS W7'7 JG 7N2 NORRIS PETERS CO, WASHINGYON, 0- C.

$14M mm.

ROBERT J MURRAY, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

HAMMER-SUPPORTING FLANGE FOR PIANO-ACTIONS- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 18, 1907.

Application filed January 10,1907. Serial No. 351,623.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. MURRAY, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hammer-Supporting Flanges for Piano-Actions, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to metallic flanges attached to hammer rails of pianoforte actions to support the pivots of the hammer butts or knuckles, these flanges being provided with upwardly-projecting ears which are grooved to receive the pivots, and. are separated by spaces which receive the hubs of the hammer knuckles. It is very important that these upwardly-projecting arms be rigidly held, and prevented from tipping edgewisc, because a slight tipping movement of either of the arms will seriously affect the operation of the corresponding hammer. It is the common practice to make a flange of this character from an elongated strip of metal, on which are formed a large number of pivot-supporting arms, all integral with the body of the flange. WVhile this construction provides the requisite stability of the arms, it is objectionable for the reason that when a single arm is broken, the entire flange has to be removed, and a new one substituted for it, this operation involving much labor and expense because of the hammers having to be removed from the removed flange, and applied to the substituted flange. Moreover the entire flange has to be discarded when a single arm thereof is broken.

My invention has for its object to enable a broken arm and the part of the flange immediately adjacent thereto, to be removed without disturbing the'other arms and the portions of the flange supporting them.

To this end the invention consists in a flange for piano actions composed of a series of inter-engaging sections, each adapted for independent attachment to the action rail, and each provided with a pivot-engaging arm, the construction of each section being such that the arm upon it is firmly support ed, and prevented from tipping edgewise by the adjacent sections.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specificatiom-Figure 1 represents a side view of a portion of a hammer rail and a portion of a sectional flange mounted thereon. Fig. 2 represents a section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 represents a perspective view of one of the flange sections. Fig. 4 represents a view similar to Fig. 1, showing the flange sections differently spaced.

The same letters of reference indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In carrying out my invention, I provide a hammer rail a with a sectional flange com posed of a series of sections I) mounted side by side. Each section is adapted to be independently attached to the rail (1, the preferred adaptation being a screw hole 2 adapt ed to receive an attaching screw 3. Each section has an upwardly-projecting arm 4.- provided with a pivot-receiving groove 5 and with a clamping plate 6 detachably secured by a screw 7, and extending across the groove 5, the arm with its groove and the clamping plate being of the construction ordinarily employed in a continuous flange where a series of arms 4 are formed on a sin gle elongated strip or flange body. The sections are adapted to inter-engage so that when assembled on the rail a, each section will be prevented from tipping edgewise by its engagement with an adjoining section or sections. The preferred means for eflecting the inter-engagement of the sections comprise a recess 8 formed in one end of the section I) and a tongue 9 formed on the opposite end thereof, the said recesses and tongues being so formed that the tongue of one section will have a close fit between the upper and lower sides of the recess in the adjacent section, as indicated in Figs. 1 and 4. The tongues may enter the recesses far enough to fill the latter, thus permitting the ends of the sections to abut, as shown in Fig. 1, or the tongues may only partially enter the recesses, the ends of the sections being separated by intermediate spaces, as shown in Fig. 4. In either case there is an inter-en gagement between the sections which prevents either section from tipping edgewise. the sections being at the same time adapted to be variably spaced to compensate for va riations in the spaces between the strings of the piano.

It will be seen that in the event of breakage of either of the arms 4, said arm may be removed with the section b which supports it without interference with or removal of the adjacent arms and sections.

I. claim:

1. A flange for piano actions composed of a series of inter-engaging sections, each adapted for independent attachment to a hammer rail.

2. A flange for piano actions composed oi" a series of sections, each adapted for independent attachment to a hammer rai], said sections having inter engaging members adapted to co-operate under variable spacing of the sections.

3. A flange for piano actions composed of a series-of sections, each adapted for independent attachment to a hammer rail, and each having a tongue at one end and a recess ing arm, an orifice for an attaching screw, a

recess in one end, and a tongue on the opposite end.

In testimony whereof I ,have aflixed my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

ROBERT J. MURRAY.

\Vitnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATGHELDER. 

